How Does Your Food Business’ Strategic Plan Stack Up?

If your roadmap is wrong, you’ll get lost. Ensuring your company’s roadmap — or strategic plan — embodies best practices is essential for your business’ future. As a three-to-five-year plan, there are several moving parts you must consider. Here, we review crucial elements your strategic plan must include, providing a downloadable checklist for you to use for your own plan.

First, let’s examine the bones of an effective strategic plan. It should be comprised of the following five key elements:

The information gleaned from above should give you insights into the day-to-day functions of your facility, long-term goals—and the gaps between the two.

Next, let’s review the meat of an effective strategic plan. There are countless logistical elements that go into the running of your plant, from personnel management and production schedules to food safety and material handling. Your strategic plan should evaluate the current states of these components, in addition to planning for the future. The best strategic plans address: